4CSCC at the 2024 N4WPP Water Symposium

The Navajo Nation Water Purification Project (N4WPP) Water Symposium took place on November 15, at Diné College in Shiprock, New Mexico, and is a collaborative effort between Navajo Technical University (NTU) and New Mexico Tech (NMT) to bring education and research opportunities for high school students. The N4WPP aims to provide clean drinking water to the Navajo Nation long-term, and its efforts gear students toward a career in hydrology and civil engineering through community leadership and planning.

Further, the N4WPP’s effort is to train students on water quality. Student projects involved creating water filtration units with essential household items. This project gave insight into providing long-term, sustainable water resources for agriculture, livestock, and home use throughout the Navajo Nation.

The N4WPP Water Symposium aligns with the Four Corners Science and Computing Club (4CSCC) goals for augmenting data collection and management. Implementing scientific computing at the water symposium also prepares students to understand data usage in projects. Students had prior training in database management, making 4CSCC an ideal candidate for this event. Presenting the 4CSCC Micro:Bit and the Raspberry Pi 400 lessons engages students and offers an opportunity to harness and practice STEM skills.

Implementing the 4CSCC projects and lessons helps studentss gain a better understanding of physical computing and gives them an idea of how to approach and develop projects.